Electrical subway system



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. o. REILLY. ELBGTRIGAL SUBWAY SYSTEM.

(No Model.)

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1 Nrrnn STATES JOI-IN OL REILLY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

ELECTRICAL ASLJBWAY SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 524,789, dated August21, 1894.

Application iiled May 28, 1894. Serial No. 512.71). (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN C. REILLY, a citizen of the United States,residing in Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical SubwaySystems, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in electric subway systems in which aseries of subscribers or sub-stations are furnished with separateelectrical connections with a central station for the purpose offurnishing a means of communicating between any two stations eithertelephonically or telegraphically; it may also be used for supplyingelectric current for light, power, and other purposes.

The object of my invention is to provide means to cheaply andexpeditiously furnish any subscriber with electrical connection, for anyperiod of time, long or short; while no idle conductors are allowed toremain in position in the subway and the desired electrical connectionor disconnection may be made in any kindof weather, at any time of year,whether the ground be frozen or not; and without disturbing the surfaceof the earth or the pavement.

By my improvements I am enabled to supply any subscriber on any blockwith temporary or permanent electrical connections without disturbingconductors in the main subway, without interrupting any circuit, withoutdelay and with no more expense for time, material or labor than isincident to stringing an overhead wire.

It is well known that electrical subways as maintained and operated inthe large cities consist of a series of ducts or passages within whichinsulated conductors are inserted and withdrawn as loccasion mayrequire, and that when a subscriber desires electrical connection with acentral station it has been necessary to dig a trench from thesubscribers property line to the line of the subway in the street, toplace a duct or tube therein, to tap the main subway and lead out orjoin the subscribers branch with the subway conductor; this has usuallyconsumed a period of one or two days, interrupted travel, and been veryexpensive.

My invention involves placing main pipes or ducts in the variousstreets; and at intersecting points or streets a manhole or workingchamber large enough to admit one or more men; within each pipe or ductI place a drawing-in device consisting of a slotted tube fixed to theinterior of the duct; within the slot there is a plate orlink forattachment to the conductor and within the slotted tube there is a ropeor chain for moving the plate in either direction substantially as shownand described in my Patent No. 447,350, dated March 3, 1891.

My present improvement consists in placing within each tube or duct atintervals of say twenty to forty feet a series of five-Waycouplings; twoof these ways or stubs are for connection with the divided ends of themain tube, two other smaller stubs are at opposite sides of the couplingand are connected to smaller tubes leading to a point within theproperty line of adjacent buildings, the fifth is connected to avertical pipe or tube, preferably of sufficient diameter to permit theinsertion of a mans arm the upper end of this tube has a water-tightcover and is arranged concentrically within a tubular section having acover which is preferably hinged and located at or about the streetsurface. The

branch tubes extending to the property linealong by the drawing-indevice of the main manhole so that the operation of placing and movingconductors with respect to the main duct is not interrupted at thevarious coupling boxes. The vertical tube sections are provided with aconcentric tube section at the street surface, and a space is allowedbetween the top of the inner tube andthe cover IOO of the outer tube toprovide for any slight variations in the level of the surface of thestreet without varying the length of the vertical pipe sections.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Figure 1 is a vertical central section of a main subway duct with itsdrawing-in device, the five-way-coupling, the vertical tube and theconcentric tube section and cover. Fig. 2 is a plan view of theiive-way-coupling below the line .x4-0s Fig. l. Fig. 5 is a centralvertical section on the line 3 3 Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a modification ofFig. 3. The section of Fig. lis on the line 2--2 Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is aplan of one or more city blocks, showing subways placed in the center ofthe roadway, intersecting working chambers or manholes at crossingpoints, with iive-way-cou plings at frequent intervals, from whichbranches are carried, in opposite directions, to points within theproperty line of adjacent buildings. Fig. 6 is a form of drawingindevice. l

Referring to Fig. l, T is the main subwayl duct, preferably an iron pipefour inches in diameter; within this duct and preferably upon iis upperwall is fixed a smaller iron tube D, having a slot extending its entirelength, this slot is upon the under side of the small tube; and a plateP formed to move along smoothlyin the slot and project through it, asshown, furnishes means for attaching a conductor to be drawn in; a ropeor chain R, is attached to this plate l? so that it may be drawn alongfrom one manhole to another. It is important that the continuity of thisdrawing-in tube be not interrupted at substations or at any pointintermediate successive manholes as this would interfere with drawingconductors into the main subway.

.l is a five-way coupling or connection having stubs which may beeitherscrew threaded or arranged to take a lead seal joint as shown ats, Figs. l and 3; two stubs are for connection with the divided ends ofthe main subway duct; the drawing-in tube D, must be continuous andpasses through the coupling box J, without interruption; two other stubsusually arranged at right angles to the first named pair are forconnection with tubes of comparatively small diameter B which enter thefive-way-coupling at a point or plane below the line or plane of thedrawing-in tube D, and extend to a point within the property line ofadjacent buildings; each tube B is provided with suitable drawing-indevices like Z9 or a hook and sectional rod may be employed, ifpreferred, like that shown in Fig. 6; the fifth stub is upon the upperside of the ve-way-coupling and is preferably four inches in diameter toreceive the vertical tube V extending to a point at or near the surfaceof the street; this tube is provided with a screw cap d and a gasket crendering it gas and water tight; concentric with the tube V is acasting of tubular form C at the top of which is a cover c hinged at 7a.This top or cover is flush with the surface of the street and ofsufcient mechanical strength to withstand the street traffic; by thisarrangement any slight inaccuracy in the street level is compensated forby accommodating the variation in the space between the covers c and d.

I have shown the tube V with a lead seal junction s at the coupling box;when this form of connection is employed any extraordinary variation inthe street level may be provided for by cutting ott the pipe section V,and the necessity forascrew thread-cut is obviated, although in somecases the screwthread junction fr, Fig. 4, combined with the concentrictube section C is sufficient.

Referring to Fig. 5, A indicates a city block, S, S, are streets; T, T,are four main intersecting subways, with manholes or working chambers M,at each point of intersection; f

is the curb line; tu indicates the cellar wall line of adjacentbuildings; C indicates a series of five-way coupling boxes interposed atregular intervals, of say forty feet, in the subway T. 13,13, are thesmaller tubes connecting with the five-way coupling at one end andextending to the property line of adjacent buildings, or to the cellarwall, w. It is to be understood that all these ducts and pipes are to beplaced in position as an integral system; and, so arranged, alfordfacilities for iinmediately furnishing electrical communication betweenanyT two points irrespective of the condition of the earth, the weather,or any conditions heretofore deemed insurmountable.

Assuming that the point or station Z dcsires a special wire orelectrical connection with the pointe' an exemplification of theoperation of making the connection is as follows: Takinga sufficientlength of insulated wire to the intermediate manhole M, one end of thewire E would be connected to the drawing-in device of the main subwaytube T, and drawn along to the five-way coupling C, immediately in frontof Z; the covers c and CZ being removed the end of the conductor wouldbe connected with the drawing-in dcvice from Z which has been run outthrough its tube B and the end of the conductor drawn into the station Zat the same time the other end of the wire is connected to thedrawing-in device of the subway T, adjacent to the station e; the coversc and d of the nearest surface connection is removed for inspection, andto afford necessary access to the conductors, the end of the wire istransferred from the drawing in device of the main duct T7 to thedrawing-in device of the nearest unoccupied branch tube B and the end ofthe wire isdrawn into the premises adjacent to the premises a' whence itis carried through the wall to the station Z. In this way it is possibleto connect two stations in a few minutes time without the necessity ofbreaking or making a joint in the conductor IIO while the Operation iscontinually under the control and subject to the inspection of theworkman and the operation of changing from one drawing-in device to theother is rendered certain, easy and expeditious.

I am aware of the United States patent of Munsie, No. 356,153, datedJanuary 18, 1887. My invention differs from anything therein shown ordescribed. Munsie provides no means for drawing a conductor past hisworking chambers or openings C which are really manhole openings; hisdrawing-in device is divided at opposite sides of said opening; hisbranch pipes do not open directly into the subway duct and connectionscan only be made through the manholes or openings C while the branchesare out of direct operative relation with respect to the leading indevices.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an electrical subway system the combination of generaldistributing ducts to receive insulated conductors located at an angleto each other and provided with manholes at intersecting points, adrawing-in device consisting of a plate or connection and means formoving it in a slotted tube located within the duct, said tube formingan unbroken track or way from one manhole to another, aseries ofive-way-coupling or connection boxes inserted in the line of a ductwithout breaking the continuity of its drawing-in device, said couplingscomprising connections for the main duct, connection for oppositesub-station tubes, below the line of the drawing-in tube, and a verticalduct above said tube, extending to the street level, with means fordrawing wires through sub-station tubes substantially as described,whereby any conductor may be carried from any manhole to any substationjunction and there connected to the drawing in device and sub-stationwithout opening the street or interrupting the passage through any mainduct.

2. The combination in an electrical subway system of a main ductconsisting of an iron pipe; manholes or working chambers at intervals, aseries 4of jive-way connecting or coupling boxes arranged at intervalsbetween the manholes, forming a junction between the di- 5o vided endsof the main duct; branch pipes 1 extending in opposite directions topoints within the walls of adjacent buildings and a vertical pipe ortube extending to the str eet level, said coupling surrounding butforming no part of a slotted drawing-in tube located in the first namedduct in a plane above the point of connection of said branch tubes, allarranged and operating substantially as described.

3. The combination of an iron subway pipe, manholes at suitableintervals; a slotted tube upon the interior of said pipe with drawingindevices extending without interruption from manhole to manhole, and aseries of iiveway couplings interposed in the main duct betweenmanholes, connected with tubes for branch conductors and a vertical tubeextending to the surface of the street, substantially as described.

1i. The combination of an iron subway pipe, manholes at suitableintervals, a slotted iron tube upon the interior of said pipe, withdrawing-in devices, extending from one manhole to another without breakor interruption, and a series of tive-way couplings at intervalsconnecting divided ends of the subway pipe with branch tubes and aVertical iron pipe, said vertical pipe having a water tight cap and atubular protecting case with a hinged cover Hush with the street surfaceseparated from said pipe cap by a variable space substantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

5. The combination of an iron subway pipe extending from one manhole toanother, a series of ve-way couplings at intervals in said pipe,connecting its divided ends with lateral branch pipes, a vertical ironpipe extending to the street surface and a continuous drawing-in deviceconsisting of a slotted tube located Within the subway pipe, means fordrawing a plate or connecting device along therein and means for drawingWires into the branch pipes, substantially as described.

JOHN C. REILLY.

Witnesses:

ALIcK G. MACANDREW, W. S. PLACE.

